A little heads-up to everyone. As previously announced, we have been hard at work on the first Service Pack for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5. I know that some of you have been waiting for it and I am happy to let you know that it is actually coming later this week. The best way to update your copy of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 is to select "Update..." from the Help menu. Once Service Pack 1 is applied, the version number of CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT will be 15.1.0.588.

Here is the info about SP1 taken from the read-me:

CONNECT

Included with this service pack is Corel CONNECT version 2. This version includes fixes and new functionality to allow you to search for content from external content providers and from the content libraries found in previous versions of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5.

Searching for content from iStockphoto, fotolia and Flickr

In order to use these external content providers, you must first read and accept the terms of use for each provider. When you are done, the [!] will be replaced with a [√] ; you can then search the provider 's content.

iStockphoto and fotolia

With iStockphoto and fotolia you can search through millions of images available on their web-sites. The images returned are low resolution comp images that are also watermarked. In addition, the comp images are linked to their original location on the vendors' website. By using a new menu item, "Open Comp Source", you can navigate directly to the original image on the website . This is where you can purchase the image so you can use them in your projects. A new menu item was also added to the applications called "Replace Comp", which lets you substitute the comp image with a downloaded image . When replacing the comp image with a downloaded image , the applications map the size, rotation , and skew of the comp image to the purchased image. However, the image effects and adjustments are not preserved when replacing the comp image with a purchased image.

Flickr

On Flickr, you can perform searches on "The Commons" and "Creative Commons". The "Creative Commons" is where users upload their photos, and then CONNECT returns results that were tagged by their owners as either Attribution No Derivative or Attribution Non-Commercial Non Derivative license. For more information about the Creative Commons , see http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons. In the region called "The Commons",you will find thousands of copyright free images , which includes images that were donated by museums around the world. Images from Flickr are also marked as "Comp" images and you must contact the owner of the image for permission to include it in your project. The print resolution of the images that you download from Flickr is defined by the original image. With images from Flickr, you should not need to replace the image with a higher resolution image later.

CGS previous version content

CONNECT version 2 now searches the content libraries from the previous versions of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. You have two options for searching for previous version content: 1) Insert the DVD/CD in the drive ; or 2) If the files were copied to your computer, you can configure CONNECT to search them. If you want to use the DVD/CD , you can insert the DVD/CD in the drive and then the library appears in the Libraries pane. If you previously copied the files to your hard disk, then click on the Libraries pane, select the version of CGS you would like to configure, and then use the Locate source (Photos/Objects, Clipart, Professional Photos) buttons to point to the folder that contains the content. Once CONNECT can verify the files are on your computer , the library appears in the Libraries pane.

RAW Camera Support

RAW Camera Support has been extended for the following cameras:

• Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and PowerShots G11 and S90
• Casio EX-Z750
• Pentax K-x
• Fuji SX200EXR
• Sony A550

General

• We addressed the top Windows Error Reporting (WER) issues in SP1. Note: We review the WER reports on a regular basis, therefore, we strongly encourage you to send us a WER report if you encounter an error.

Color Management

• Improved proofing to better support profile simulations for all colour models.
• Added LCMS as a color engine to support color conversions that deal with version 4 ICC color profiles on Windows XP. It will be used in the background if Windows ICM is selected on Windows XP and version 4 ICC color profiles are in use.
• Enhanced support for Pantone Huey lighting compensation.

Filters

• Enhanced file filters for the following file formats: AI, CGM, DSF/DRW, EMF, EPS, JPG, PDF, TIF, WMF and VSD; as a result, you will experience improvements when importing and/or exporting the file formats.

Printing

• When printing files that contain overprints, the separations in the print preview will not display unless Simulate Overprints is enabled in the View Menu. However, the overprint will be maintained in the output, whether the option is enabled or not.
• For printers that require a document to be sent to the queue several times to print multiple copies, a switch must be added to the corelprn.ini file. To add the switch, do the following:
  1. Locate the corelprn.ini file by opening the Run window and typing "%appdata%" (no quotes), pressing Enter, and navigating to the \Corel\CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5\Config Folder.
  2. Open the file with a text editor.
  3. Locate the section that details your printer's information i.e.: [Driver-NT-NAME of PRINTER], then add a hard return below it and add the following: "EmulateCopy=1" (no quotes)
  4. Save the file and restart CorelDraw. Your printer should now be able to print multiple copies.

CorelDRAW

• Resolved a number of stability issues when you have many dockers (e.g. Undo docker, Extrude docker, Fillet/Scallop/Chamfer docker) open in the workspace.

Vector Effects

• Resolved stability issues when copying and pasting groups that contain vector effects, dimensions, and connectors.
• Enhanced the performance of working with Artistic Media objects that were created in a previous version.

File I/O

• Improved results when opening files that were created in a previous version and also include transformed objects, such as callouts, rectangles with envelopes or linear gradients, Artistic Media objects, and transparency gradients. This may result in transparency gradients appearing differently after applying the SP1 update; however, the appearance will be consistent with opening the files in a previous version.
• Added the ability to use Paste Special to paste CorelDRAW objects that are copied to the clipboard into supporting applications.
• Added the ability to tab through the options in the New Document/Image dialog box after applying a preset.

Object Controls/Attributes

• Improved curve editing operations, such as Join Curves or Fillet/Scallop/Chamfer, on B-Spline curves.
• Enabled Object preview when transforming grouped objects that had shaping operations applied to them.
• Improved convert outline to object results when using various line endings.
• Resolved the issue of objects 'auto-duplicating' on-screen after viewing full screen videos.

Color Palettes

• Enhanced rendering results when working with a document or image palette.
• Improved spot colour functionality within the document/image palette.
• Added the ability to add tints of spot colors to palettes.
• Added the ability to perform name searches within spot color palettes.

Fills

• Corrected issues with corrupted default settings in pattern fills within the dialog.

Text

• Improved text functions when working with text outside the Latin codepage.
• Maintained character Shift properties when performing a copy/paste operation.

VBA

• Resolved the corruption of Spot colour density values when reported through a VBA script.

Corel PHOTO-PAINT

• Corrected the display of objects in the objects docker. Objects will now display with a transparent background (the transparent background is represented as a checker board pattern).
• Replaced the white image background with no background in images that had a lens or multiple lenses applied.

Bitstream Font Navigator

• Enhanced support for Type 1 fonts.
• Improved functions, such as copying and moving of fonts, and browsing folders.

Installer

• If you install Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 after installing CorelDRAW Graphics suite and then decide to modify or repair the CorelDRAW Graphics installation, the VSTA component in the installer dialog box will be disabled by default, which causes VSTA to be uninstalled. To address this issue, please install Service Pack 1 of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008.